JP7382312B2 - Orthodontic brackets and orthodontic devices - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to orthodontic brackets, and specifically to orthodontic brackets having slots for receiving archwires. Slots are defined in all four radial directions of the archwire axis.

Orthodontic brackets are used in orthodontic treatment to move teeth from an initial position to a desired position in a patient's dentition. Initial position usually refers to the position at the beginning of orthodontic treatment, for example, where the labial sides of the teeth are not aligned with each other, whereas the desired position is where the labial sides of the same teeth are not aligned with each other. Usually they can be roughly aligned.

For example, a patient's teeth may be aligned relative to each other to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance to the dentition. Additionally, one or more teeth may be moved within the dentition to compensate for the malocclusion. Such movement of the tooth(s) can typically be accomplished through the use of orthodontic brackets attached to the teeth. Orthodontic brackets are typically connected to elastic orthodontic archwires to force teeth toward a desired position over an extended period of time. The orthodontic archwire is typically secured within a slot provided in each of the orthodontic brackets by orthodontic ligatures. Orthodontic ligatures are typically formed by elastic bands stretched across orthodontic brackets to bias the orthodontic archwire into the slot. Some orthodontic brackets connected to archwires are commonly referred to in the orthodontic field as orthodontic appliances.

Orthodontic brackets are often off-the-shelf products configured for use in different patient clinical situations. Additionally, there are usually customized orthodontic brackets that are manufactured to fit the individual clinical situation of a particular patient.

For example, US Pat. An orthodontic bracket system is disclosed that includes an orthodontic bracket having an orthodontic bracket slot adapted to the orthodontic bracket. The customized archwire is adapted to be placed in the orthodontic bracket slot to form a precise interface between the orthodontic bracket slot and the archwire.

It is desired for an orthodontic device to be able to control the three-dimensional movement of each tooth, including twisting around the three-dimensional axis. In orthodontics, this third dimension is usually based on a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system defined individually for each tooth. Additionally, the direction of twist about these axes is commonly referred to as "torque," "rotation," or "angulation." Typically, the term "torque" refers to the twisting of a tooth about its mesio-distal axis, which is defined in the direction of a tangent to the neutral line along which the dental arch extends. The term "rotation" usually refers to twisting about the tooth axis (i.e., the crown-apex axis), and is defined in the direction between the root and the occlusal or incisal side of the tooth. The tooth axis is usually, or preferably, a substantially vertical line that coincides with the anatomical vertical body axis. Furthermore, the term "angulation" refers to the twisting of teeth, usually about the oral vestibular-lingual tooth axis, defined in the direction between the cheek or lips and tongue. The mesial-distal tooth axis, the tooth axis, and the vestibular and lingual tooth axes usually intersect approximately at the center of the tooth.

Although a variety of different orthodontic brackets and orthodontic bracket systems are available for sale, it remains desirable to provide an orthodontic bracket system that maximizes the ability to control movement in different directions and orientations.

The present invention relates to orthodontic brackets. The orthodontic bracket forms a slot for receiving the archwire. A slot extends through the orthodontic bracket along the archwire axis. The slot is defined radially of the archwire axis by a slot base surface, an opposing slot cover surface, and two opposing slot sides. The slot has an open side defined by a gap between one of the slot sides and the slot cover surface.

The present invention is advantageous in that it provides orthodontic brackets and appliances that provide maximized torque, rotation, and torque control during movement of a patient's tooth(s). Although a typical orthodontic ligature may secure an orthodontic archwire within the slot of an orthodontic bracket, the force exerted by the archwire in the direction that the slot is open may, in some cases, cause the orthodontic ligature to It has been found that the force applied may exceed the force that can force the archwire into the slot. In such cases, the orthodontic archwire loses some tension and is unable to apply the full desired force to the orthodontic bracket. Thus, in prior art orthodontic brackets, control of tooth movement is controlled by the vestibular-lingual axis, the coronal-apical axis, or the mesial-distal axis, depending on where the slot openings are oriented. One of the axes can be affected. The orthodontic brackets and orthodontic appliances of the present invention provide maximized control of movement in the vestibular-lingual, coronal-apical, and even mesial-distal axes. Furthermore, orthodontic brackets and orthodontic appliances can control twisting about and movement along all three axes simultaneously. This helps minimize treatment time as any additional or extended treatment to twist or move one or more teeth can be omitted in some specific situations.

According to the invention, the slot is preferably formed by four faces: a slot base face, a slot cover face and two opposing slot side faces. These four faces are preferably oriented in different directions towards the archwire axis. This means that each of the four surfaces preferably faces the archwire axis. These different directions preferably refer to vectors that are perpendicular to the respective surfaces in a direction towards the archwire axis. Preferably, these vectors are arranged in a common plane that is transverse or perpendicular to the archwire axis. The four planes may be planar, and one direction of the plane may be oriented parallel to the archwire axis.

As referred to herein, the term "extending through" specifically means that the slot extends through the entire orthodontic bracket. This means that the slot is preferably open in both directions along the archwire axis.

The archwire axis is typically parallel or substantially parallel to the mesial-distal tooth axis of the tooth with which the orthodontic bracket is associated. Additionally, the archwire axis may be parallel or substantially parallel to the tooth-facing surface of the orthodontic bracket. The tooth-facing surface of the orthodontic bracket is used to bond the orthodontic bracket to the patient's teeth.

In one embodiment, the slot base surface and the two slot sides are planar. The two slot sides are preferably parallel to each other. Furthermore, the two slot sides are perpendicular to the slot base plane. The slot base surface and the two slot sides are thus configured to engage a rectangular archwire that is sized to fit snugly between the two sides. The slot cover surface may be flat and parallel to the slot base surface. However, the slot cover surface may have a different shape as appropriate.

In one embodiment, the slot is L-shaped in a plane perpendicular to the archwire axis. The slot may specifically have an L-shaped profile such that the slot extends along the archwire axis. Furthermore, at least the protrusion of the profile of the slot in a plane perpendicular to the archwire axis may be L-shaped. Thereby, the slot base surface and the two slot side surfaces may form a horizontal part of the L-shape, and the slot cover surface may belong to the vertical part of the L-shape. In this regard, it is noted that the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the letter "L" referred to in the term "L-shaped".

In one embodiment, the gap has a gap width in the oral vestibular-lingual tooth direction perpendicular to the archwire axis. Further, the slot has a slot width between the slot base surface and the slot cover surface in the same vestibular-lingual tooth direction. The gap width and slot width therefore extend parallel to each other. The slot width is preferably no more than twice the gap width. Accordingly, the archwire exhibiting an archwire width that fits through the gap can be displaced toward the slot base surface such that a space is provided between the cover surface and the archwire. This space can be filled with an orthodontic ligature to prevent displacement of the archwire away from the slot base surface. Therefore, any movement of the archwire away from the slot will compress the orthodontic ligature. This is in contrast to prior art where orthodontic ligatures are typically lengthened. Furthermore, the gap preferably completely separates the slot side and slot cover surfaces from each other. Therefore, an open slot is provided.

In one embodiment, an orthodontic bracket is configured to bond to a patient's teeth. Preferably, the orthodontic bracket forms a tooth-facing surface for joining the orthodontic bracket to the patient's teeth. The tooth-facing surface may have a customized shape with respect to the shape of the patient's teeth. The orthodontic bracket preferably has a tooth-facing surface that is shaped to match a portion of the outer tooth surface (eg, a portion of the labial or lingual tooth surface) of a patient's teeth. For example, the tooth-facing surface may have a shape that corresponds to the negative shape of a portion of the patient's teeth. The tooth-facing surface may exhibit a bonded shape, for example a grid structure or a mesh structure. Such a bonding structure may help maximize bond strength between the adhesive used to bond the orthodontic bracket to the tooth and the tooth-facing surface. Note that although the tooth-facing surface may have a bonding structure, the tooth-facing surface may still have an overall shape that corresponds to the outer tooth surface.

In one embodiment, the orthodontic bracket is a lingual orthodontic bracket. Lingual orthodontic brackets preferably have a tooth-facing surface that is shaped to match a portion of the lingual surface of a patient's teeth.

In one embodiment, an orthodontic bracket has a base portion that forms a tooth-facing surface and a cap portion. The cap portion preferably forms an end surface of the orthodontic bracket opposite the tooth-facing surface. The orthodontic bracket further preferably has an intermediate portion connecting the cap portion and the base portion. The orthodontic bracket further preferably has a constriction. Preferably, the intermediate portion forms a constriction for retaining the orthodontic ligature therein.

In one embodiment, the cap of the orthodontic bracket exhibits a ball-shaped outer surface. The ball-shaped surface may have, for example, a hemispherical or part-spherical shape. Therefore, orthodontic brackets are relatively tissue-friendly. That is, typically the outer surface of the cap that is oriented toward the patient's tissues (e.g., tongue, cheeks, or lips) is relatively smooth, and specifically does not have exposed sharp edges or corners. It means no.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to an orthodontic appliance. The orthodontic device includes an orthodontic bracket according to the present invention and an orthodontic archwire. An orthodontic archwire is made to extend through a slot in an orthodontic bracket.

In one embodiment, an orthodontic archwire extends through a slot in an orthodontic bracket. The orthodontic archwire preferably extends over a rectangular cross section. Thus, an orthodontic archwire attached to an orthodontic appliance is able to control the angulation (=twisting about the mesial-distal axis) of the teeth during the orthodontic procedure. However, one skilled in the art can use orthodontic archwires with different cross-sections if angulation control is not desired or is less important. For example, a circular archwire (having a circular or oval cross section) can be used with the device of the invention. Orthodontic archwires may be made of superelastic materials such as NiTi or stainless steel or titanium.

In further embodiments, the orthodontic appliance may include a plurality of differently shaped archwires. The various shapes allow for tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. For example, a first archwire generally follows the shape of the lingual or labial flanks of the patient's dentition at the beginning of treatment, and a further archwire generally follows the shape of the lingual or labial flanks of the patient's dentition at the end of treatment. It can more closely follow the shape of the surface.

In one embodiment, the orthodontic appliance further includes an orthodontic ligature. Preferably, at least a portion of the orthodontic ligature is disposed within the slot between the orthodontic archwire and the covering surface. The orthodontic ligature thus captures the orthodontic archwire between the two slot sides, the slot base surface, and at least a portion of the orthodontic ligature. The orthodontic ligature can fill the entire space between the archwire and the slot cover surface.

In one embodiment, the orthodontic ligature is retained on an orthodontic bracket. This preferably locks a portion of the orthodontic ligature within the slot.

In a further embodiment, the orthodontic ligature has a retention structure for engaging a retention structure of an orthodontic bracket. Alternatively or additionally, the orthodontic ligature may have a retention structure for engaging the archwire.

The orthodontic ligature can completely or only partially fill any free space within the slot. This allows for a controlled level of tooth movement and minimizes the frictional forces created between the archwire and the orthodontic bracket. Toward the end of treatment, the orthodontic ligature may be sized to exceed the free space within the slot so as to force the orthodontic archwire into the slot. This is to ensure that the wire fully engages within the slot. Orthodontic ligatures may be made from materials selected from materials of varying hardness. Orthodontic ligatures may be made from ultra-soft materials (eg, silicone), medium-hard materials (eg, plastic), or hard materials (eg, steel or superelastic metals). It is noted that the categories "ultra-soft", "medium-hard" and "hard" mentioned herein are selected only in the context of this specification.

In one embodiment, an orthodontic device comprises a plurality of orthodontic brackets according to the invention and an orthodontic ligature for each orthodontic bracket. The orthodontic device may further include at least one orthodontic bracket different from the orthodontic bracket of the present invention.

The orthodontic brackets referred to herein may be designed according to the following method. The method may include capturing the shape of the patient's teeth. Capturing the shape of the patient's teeth may be performed by scanning the patient's teeth directly using an optical intraoral scanner or by scanning a plaster model of the patient's teeth. Capturing the shape of the patient's teeth preferably provides a shape in the form of a virtual model of the patient's teeth. Virtual models are data-based and suitable for use in computer-aided design (CAD) systems.

The method may further include defining an archwire axis relative to the virtual model of the patient's teeth. This may be carried out on the basis of a so-called straight wire approach, in which the archwire axis is formed in one common plane approximately parallel to the occlusal surfaces of the patient's teeth. Note that the straight wire approach is not limited to planar archwires and allows the archwire to deviate from that plane if desired. Nevertheless, a common plane is typically used as a reference in straight wire approaches. Further, the archwire axis may be defined at a distance from the labial or lingual sides of the patient's teeth. The distance may be predetermined and/or adjustable and may take into account the space required to place the orthodontic bracket on the patient's teeth.

The method may further include determining an area on the virtual teeth represented in the virtual model of the patient's teeth to which the orthodontic brackets will be bonded. This may be performed by computer-aided drawing of a line around the area on the virtual tooth. Such a line may correspond, for example, to a circle of a predetermined size or to a free shape determined by the operator of the CAD system. Other shapes are also possible. The illustrated regions may be used (eg, copied) to create a virtual model of the tooth-facing side of the orthodontic bracket. This process can be repeated for each tooth for which an orthodontic bracket is designed.

Based on the tooth-facing surfaces, the overall shape of the orthodontic bracket can be designed with computer aid. The slot can automatically virtually cut out the overall shape of the orthodontic bracket along the archwire axis.

The virtual design of the orthodontic bracket thus formed may be used in a manufacturing machine to machine a physical orthodontic bracket and/or a physical model of the orthodontic bracket. Orthodontic brackets may be manufactured directly (eg, from metals such as gold or stainless steel, or ceramics) by, for example, selective laser melting (SLM) or selective laser sintering (SLS). Additionally, orthodontic brackets may be manufactured by stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), or any other suitable additive manufacturing process.

Alternatively, a physical model of an orthodontic bracket may be made from a meltable material such as wax as a core for making a casting mold. The orthodontic bracket may then be cast from ceramic or metal using a casting mold.

Additionally, physical orthodontic brackets may be manufactured from a set of standardized orthodontic bracket blanks made by manufacturing processes such as metal injection molding (MIM), casting, CNC machining, etc., for example. These blanks may be individualized by CNC cutting or grinding utilizing digital design data.

1 is a perspective view of an orthodontic bracket, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of a further orthodontic bracket according to an embodiment of the invention. 3 is a partial view of the orthodontic bracket shown in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing attachment of an archwire to the orthodontic bracket shown in FIG. 1; 1 is a perspective view of an orthodontic bracket equipped with an archwire and an orthodontic ligature, according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an orthodontic appliance, according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a top view of an orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an orthodontic bracket, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a further orthodontic bracket according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary orthodontic bracket 1 according to the invention. The orthodontic bracket 1 is placed or bonded to a patient's teeth 100. Teeth 100 in this example are molars. The orthodontic bracket 1 has a base portion 11 that includes a slot 13 for receiving an archwire (not shown in this figure) and a tooth-facing surface 14 (not visible from the perspective shown). In this example, the orthodontic bracket 1 is customized to the patient's teeth. Specifically, the tooth-facing surface 14 corresponds to the outer negative shape of a portion of the patient's tooth 100 on which the orthodontic bracket 1 is placed. The area defined within the peripheral shape of the tooth-facing surface is also referred to as the "installation area" herein. The customized orthodontic bracket 1 is particularly suitable for so-called lingual procedures, where the orthodontic bracket is placed on the lingual side of the patient's teeth, but labial procedures are also possible. Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, the orthodontic bracket may have a base portion having a standard (e.g., flat) shape for suitable attachment to any desired tooth. You will recognize it even more. In this case, the difference in shape between the orthodontic bracket and the tooth may be compensated for by the adhesive used to bond the orthodontic bracket to the tooth.

Customization of the orthodontic bracket 1 may further relate to the installation area of the orthodontic bracket 1 and the associated shape of the base part. In this example, the placement area can have other shapes than circular depending on the space available for placing the orthodontic bracket on the desired tooth. However, according to the invention, it is preferred to use standard installation areas in combination with customized shapes of tooth-facing surfaces (at least for teeth that provide sufficient space for such orthodontic brackets). This facilitates the design of the orthodontic brackets and provides a particular aesthetic appearance for the set of orthodontic brackets placed on the patient's teeth. In this embodiment, the orthodontic bracket 1 has a ball-shaped overall structure.

The orthodontic bracket 100 further includes a cap portion 12. The cap portion 12 covers the slot 13. Cap portion 12 further defines a tissue-facing surface 121 oriented away from the tooth-facing surface. The tissue-facing surface 121 of the lingual orthodontic bracket may, for example, face the patient's tongue, and the tissue-facing surface of the labial orthodontic bracket may face the patient's cheek or lips. The tissue facing surface 12 in the example is ball-shaped. The patient's tissue (for example the tongue) in contact with the orthodontic bracket 1 is therefore in contact with a smooth surface. Therefore, patient comfort can be maximized. Additionally, the cap portion 12 covering the slot prevents patient tissue from directly contacting the slot 13 as well as any edges or corners of the structure forming the slot 13.

Figure 2 shows a further exemplary orthodontic bracket 2 according to the invention. The orthodontic bracket 2 is placed on the patient's tooth 101. In this example, teeth 101 are front teeth. The configuration of the orthodontic bracket 2 substantially corresponds to the configuration of the orthodontic bracket 1 shown in FIG. In particular, the orthodontic bracket 2 has a base portion 21 and a cap portion 22. The cap portion 22 covers the slot 23. The cap portion 22 and the base portion 21 are connected via an intermediate portion 26. Intermediate portion 26 forms a constriction 261 with respect to cap portion 22 and base portion 21 . Constriction 261 allows an orthodontic ligature (not shown in this view) to be retained therein. Therefore, although the orthodontic bracket 1 and the orthodontic bracket 2 in FIG. 1 have the base portion 11/21, the cap portion 12/22, and the intermediate portion 16/26 in common, these portions have different shapes. May have. Orthodontic bracket 1 and orthodontic bracket 2 of FIG. 1 differ in that the orientation of slots 23 and tooth-facing surfaces 24 is different from the orientation of slots 13 and tooth-facing surfaces 14 of FIG. The installation area changed (reduced) from the installation area of the orthodontic bracket 1 is due to consideration of the limited space provided by the front teeth 101 for placing the orthodontic bracket 2. Furthermore, the orientation of the slots 23 is changed from the orientation of the slots 13 of the orthodontic bracket 1 to account for the inclination of the anterior teeth 101.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of an orthodontic bracket 2 forming a slot 23. FIG. Slot 23 is defined by a slot base surface 231, an opposing slot cover surface 232, and two opposing slot sides 234, 233. Therefore, the slot 23 is defined in four directions in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system indicated by the oral vestibular-lingual tooth axis X and the tooth axis Y. An archwire (not shown in this figure) extends through the slot 23 with an archwire axis Z perpendicular to the oral vestibular-lingual tooth axis X and tooth axis Y (or perpendicular to the plane of the figure). Good too. The archwire axis extends generally parallel to the mesial-distal tooth axis of the patient's tooth on which the orthodontic bracket is placed. The archwire inserted into the slot 23 preferably extends through the slot 23 in a direction along the archwire axis Z.

Slot 23 has open sides defined by gap 235. The open side provides an "entrance" for the archwire, meaning that the archwire can be inserted through the open side and into the slot 23 after bonding the orthodontic bracket 2 to the tooth. A gap 235 is provided in the slot side surface 234. Furthermore, the gap 235 extends along the direction of the archwire axis Z. Slot 23 is an open slot so that the archwire can be inserted into the slot by movement of the archwire across the archwire axis as shown in FIG. This is quite different from the insertion of an archwire into a so-called orthodontic tube, which requires mounting the archwire by moving it axially through a hole provided by the tube. Thus, while the orthodontic brackets 1, 2 of the present invention offer some of the advantages of orthodontic tubes in terms of controllability of tooth movement, the orthodontic brackets 1, 2 also provide two , may make it possible to attach an archwire to three or more orthodontic brackets 1, 2. Thus, the orthodontic brackets of the present invention can be used on some or all teeth of a patient's dentition (generally not possible with orthodontic tubes).

Figure 4 shows the orthodontic bracket 1 in five different stages of use. The orthodontic bracket 1 corresponds to the orthodontic bracket 1 shown in FIG. In stage 3a, the orthodontic bracket 1 is shown in side view. A cross section of the archwire 30 is shown outside the slot 13 of the orthodontic bracket 1. In step 3b, archwire 30 is placed into slot 13 through gap 135. In step 3c, the archwire 30 is displaced towards the slot base surface 131. As shown, in step 3d, an orthodontic ligature 40 (described further below) is provided. In step 3e, orthodontic ligature 40 is placed within slot 13. Orthodontic ligature 40 fills the space between archwire 30 and slot cover surface 132. Archwire 30 is therefore immovably restrained between slot base surface 131 and slot cover surface 132 via orthodontic ligature 40 . Additionally, archwire 30 is also immovably restrained between slot sides 133, 134. Therefore, after installing the orthodontic ligature 40 in the slot 13, the archwire 30 cannot be freely displaced in the direction of the oral vestibular-lingual tooth axis It cannot freely rotate about any of the vestibular-lingual tooth axis X, the tooth axis Y, and/or the archwire axis Z. This provides complete control of the torque that can be applied to the orthodontic bracket 1 about all three axes X, Y, and Z via the archwire 30. Furthermore, this also completely controls the forces that can be applied to the orthodontic bracket 1 at least along the vestibular-lingual tooth axis X and the tooth axis Y. It should be noted that in the orthodontic bracket of the present invention, the orthodontic ligature 40 can apply force to the archwire by compressive loading on the orthodontic ligature, whereas in the prior art the orthodontic ligature is placed under a tensile load. For the same orthodontic ligation, the maximum compressive load has been found to be significantly higher than the maximum tensile load.

For example, orthodontic ligatures can withstand certain pressures without significantly deforming or breaking, but the same forces that act as tensile forces typically cause the orthodontic ligature to stretch or break.

It is further noted that the type and material of the orthodontic ligature may be selected to provide a particular degree of freedom for the archwire to move. However, such movement is limited by the orthodontic ligature, which compresses the orthodontic archwire and ultimately prevents it from escaping the slot. For example, freedom of movement for the archwire may be provided in consideration of specific clinical situations in orthodontic treatment. Under certain circumstances, the orthodontic brackets of the present invention may also be used with reduced cross-section archwires. For example, a relatively thin archwire may be used to provide play within the slot at the beginning of an orthodontic treatment. Although such an archwire has the freedom to displace and rotate (as desired in this case), the archwire is still captured within the slot of the orthodontic bracket. Furthermore, prior art orthodontic brackets that use conventional slots and orthodontic ligatures are typically reduced in cross-section so that the orthodontic bracket allows play between the slot and the archwire. Always clamp a uniform archwire. This helps maximize patient comfort at the beginning of the procedure and facilitates the treatment of tricky dental situations. In addition, this also helps to minimize friction between the archwire and orthodontic brackets, especially during the first stage of the procedure, when crowded teeth slide along the archwire and unravel. Suitable when necessary.

FIG. 5 shows an orthodontic bracket 2 with an archwire 30 and an orthodontic ligature 40 assembled to form an orthodontic appliance. In this example, the orthodontic ligature 40 is an elastic band that extends partially through a slot (not shown) to lock the archwire 30 in place. The orthodontic ligature 40 in this embodiment has a grip portion 41 . The gripping portion 41 allows, for example, an orthodontist to handle the orthodontic ligature 40, in particular to place the orthodontic ligature 40 within the slot and to hold the orthodontic ligature in the stenosis. Grip 41 is optional, but when present provides the advantages described above. A plurality of orthodontic brackets 1, 2 connected via an archwire 30 are typically placed on a patient's teeth 102 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Figure 8 shows a further exemplary orthodontic bracket 1 according to the invention. The orthodontic bracket 1 is configured to fit on a molar tooth. The orthodontic bracket 1 has a base portion 11 forming a tooth-facing surface 14 and a cap portion 12 forming an opposite tissue-facing surface 121 oriented away from the tooth-facing surface 14 . The cap portion 12 covers the slot 13. The slot 13 has a slot base surface 131 and an opposite slot cover surface 132, as well as two opposing slot sides 133, 134. As shown, neither of the two slot sides 133, 134 extend to the slot cover surface 132. In particular, the two slot sides 133, 134 need not extend beyond the archwire 30 so long as they extend long enough to guide the archwire. The orthodontic bracket 1 further includes a retaining structure 111 that holds the orthodontic ligature 40 in place. Such a retention structure may be present in any embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows a further exemplary orthodontic bracket 1 according to the invention, on which an archwire 30 is attached. Another orthodontic ligature 50 is provided having a retention structure 51 for retaining the orthodontic ligature 50 to the archwire 30 (instead of an orthodontic bracket). On the left side of FIG. 9, the orthodontic ligature is not yet attached to the archwire 30, and on the right side of FIG. 9, the orthodontic ligature is retained on the archwire 30.

Claims (6)

An orthodontic appliance having an orthodontic bracket including a tooth-facing surface for joining the orthodontic bracket to a patient's teeth and a slot for receiving an archwire, the slot extending along the archwire axis. extending through the orthodontic bracket, the slot being defined radially of the archwire axis by a slot base surface, an opposing slot cover surface, and two opposing slot sides; a surface is on an opposite side of the slot from the tooth-facing surface, and the slot has an open side defined by a gap between one of the slot sides and the slot cover surface;
The orthodontic device further includes an orthodontic archwire extending through the slot of the orthodontic bracket and an orthodontic ligature, wherein at least a portion of the orthodontic ligature extends through the orthodontic archwire and the slot. and a cover surface to capture the orthodontic archwire between the two slot sides, the slot base surface, and the at least a portion of the orthodontic ligature ; An orthodontic ligature fills a space between the archwire and the slot cover surface . The orthodontic device according to claim 1, wherein the slot base surface and the two slot side surfaces are planar, and the two slot side surfaces are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the slot base surface. the gap has a gap width in a direction perpendicular to the archwire axis; the slot has a slot width between the slot base surface and the slot cover surface in the same direction; The orthodontic apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: is twice or less the gap width. The orthodontic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gap is arranged on the occlusal surface of the orthodontic bracket. The orthodontic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tooth-facing surface has a shape customized to the shape of the patient's teeth. The orthodontic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the orthodontic bracket is a lingual orthodontic bracket.

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